Meter for measuring gas.



D. R. POTTER.

METER FOR MEASURING GAS.

APPLicATloN man ocT..1915.

4 sHEETssHEET 1.

un fr vr TTEH.

Wil- TER FOR MEASURING GAS.

APPLICATION man o'c'r. a. 1915.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

hmmm@ D. R. POTTER.

METER FOR MEASURING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 8. I9I5.

1,260,445 f l aIenIed Mar. 26,1918.

y 4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

j d. 9a

D. R. POWER.

METER FOR MEASURING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr, 8. 1915.

Lm; Eaten-@Qd Mar. 26,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- miran srafrns -DORSEY R. POTTER, CJRKSBURG, WEST VIRGNIL, .@iSSGNGR T HWELL C.

f COOPER, 0F CLARKSBURG, WEST VEGNIA.

I METER ron ivmasuante eas.

Laconia.

. Specicationiof Letters Patent. Pattentd MaaZES, llgo Application tiled October 8, 1915. Serial No. 54,86% i @b all/whom I? .may concern.'

'.Be it known that I, Bonsa R. POTTER, a citi-Zen` of the United States, residing Vat lClarksburg, in the county 'of Harrison and 4State-.ot-Viest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meters v l Meters have been developed for measuring the rate of flowl of fluids having means for imparting heat to the fluid and means Whereby the'etfect of the heat transfer between the heater and the luid may be utilized in determining-the rate of flow of the' Huid.

Metersofthis type have involved the use of electric heaters.

One 'of Athe-objects of this invention is to provide ameter of the above type which may. .be'used where' electrical energy is not available for'4 heating the fluid on where its use is lnot practicable.

Another objectis to provide a meter in which the heating of the Huid is performed :V by products of combustion.

Another object is to provide a meter in .which the products of combustion are ob tained by burning a portion of the fluid to be measured. -v

Another object is to provide means for l causing theproducts of combustion to im part heat to the fluid at a constant rate.

Other objects will appear as the speciication proceeds.

Several different forms of the meter are illustrated iu the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of one forni of y meter` certain parts beingshown in section.y

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section ,ofV

of another .form

the present invention'maytake various dif-f' ferent forms. VSeveral different-[forms pfl the meter are illustrated herein for exemplary purposes and these will be speciiically described.

1n the drawings the numeral 1 r presents a casing or chamber through'which the gas will How from the gas main. Within the casing or chamber is located a suitable heater,

for instance a coil 2 for the passage of a suitable heating agent, as for instance heated water or other agent so that gas tiowing through the casing in ContactV with the heat ing coil will have heat transferred to 1t from thev heating agent passing through thecoil.

rihe coil may be inclosed within 'an insa lating jacket open at both ends 'to the gas main G M `and protectingthe contained ,Y

' heater against the influences of external 'temperatures. The coil 2 is connected at opposite ends to a suitable heat generator which may consist of a casing 1 containing a coil 'for low of the heat transmittingliquid or agent and a burner 6 for generating the ?heat. The coil 5 is connected at one end by a pipe 7 with one end of the heating coilr and at the other end by a pipe 8 with an expansion chamber 9 with which the other end ofthe coil 2 connects so that there will be a circulation of the heating agent Jtroni the heat generating chamber tothe heattransmitting coil in the casing 1. The heat generating chamber has its wall provided with a suitable insulating protector 10, the pipe 8 with an insulating covcring'll, and the eX- Apansion chamber is provided with an insulating covering 12. The heat generating chamber is provided with a jacket 13 for supply of air to the burner through Athe space between the jacket and heat generlating chamber. The burner 6 is preferably of the gas type and provided at opposite ends with funnel-shaped inlets 14 to receive air supplied. through the jacket 13 and gas v from the jet-pipes 15 projecting from the pipe 16. The pipe 16 cncircles the lower part'of the heat generating chamber within the jacket 13 and is supplied with gas through a pipe 17 having a restricted open ing^18 which may or may not be provided witha controlling valve. The pipe 17 receives its supply by a pipe 18' Iwhich may lead Jronifthe gas main G M and is provided with pressure regulators 19. and 20 of any -well knownv typefofconstruction for con-' f trolling the pressure of gas.l supplied to the, burner so as lto.maintain a ltired pressure oit gas -at the receiving side of the restricted -opemng 18.

'heat developed by the .burner will be constant.

A thermometer 21 of any suitable type is.`

connected with the pipe leading from the heat generating coil to the expansion chamber, or other part of the system. to indicate the temperature of the heat circulating inedium. A differential thermometer 22 of any suitableV well known type is connected by temperature tubes 23 and 24 with the gas main at oppositie ends of the heating coil 2 and is provided with a suitable recording chart 25 rotatedI at a regular speed by any suitable clock or other mechanism. AThe chart 25 is suitably 'marked as shown in the drawing by -circular divisions representing the number of feet of gas passing per day,

`or per minute of time, and radial minute dil tion does not lie in itsl special construction,

such a thermometer is illustrated only in a diagrammatic way. Two ordinary recording thermometers may be used)` one. on the inlet and one on the outlet if desired, instead of the differential thermometer. charts from the two instruments must be compared at intervals so as to find the difference in temperature of the incoming and outgoing gas.

Under the form of the invention so far described the operation is as follows. The

coils 2 and 5, and expansion tank 9 up'to the level indicated by the dotted line, are

filled with the heat transmitting fluid. The burner to the heat generating chamber is lighted and in proper time a fixed volume of hot gases or substances passes up and around the heating coil 5 and heats the fluid therein and in due time a circulation of the heated fluid takes place between the coils 5 and 2, causing a transfer of heat from the coil 2 to the gas flowing from the the coil 2 and the rise in temperature will.

be indicated by the differential thermometer. So long therefore as heat is added or maintained at aI uniform rate to the heating fluid then as long as gas passes over the heating coil 2 at the uniform rate of 1000 standard cubic feet per minute a certain fixed quantity of'heat will be absorbed by the gas passing over the coil 2 and its temperature raised a fixed amount. lVhen therefore the differential thermometer records that rise in temperature, it follows that 1000 standard cubic feet are passing per minute. Thus mometer; thus will occur a large rise for av small flow and a small rise for a large'flow of gas. The quantity of heat which will pass through a metal plate in a unit of time the two sides of the plate, and for this reason Ithe temperature of the incoming gas is recorded, because since the temperature in the heating chamber is constant, the rate of transfer of heat into the gas to be measured will vary slightly for the same quantity of gas undergoing measurement should the temperature of the gas entering the instrument vary. By recording this temperature -varies with the difference of temperature on the volume record can be modified-accordingly.

In Fig. trated a form 'of meter, in which oil instead of gas is used as the heat generating agent. In this form-of the invention the casing or chamber 1a which is connectedI at vopposite en ds with the gas main is illustrated asin an upright position and contains the heating .coil 2 through which the heatingvmedium flows, said coil preferably being located within the insulated jacket `3a open at opposite ends for the passage of the gas flowing through the gas main. The coil 2a is connected at one end by a pipe 7 with the lower end of a coil 5a in the heat generating chamber and at the other end through an expansion tank')il and a pipe S'2L with the' upper end ofthe coil. 5a. The coil 5a is contained ywithin a ca-sing lla having an insulating protector 10EL and'inclosed within 3 of the drawing there is illus.

a jacket 1311 which may have an insulating protector as illustrated. The casing an'd jacket are illustrated as resting upon av hollow base 26 provided with ports 27 for the A 'admission of air to promote combustion.

The top plate of the base is provided with ports 28 opening into the combustion chamber portion of the casing ,4a. These parts are controlled or regulated by a suitable. cap

or cover 29 encircling a mixer-nozzle 30 depending from the top plate and operated by any suitable means for regulating the Vol-' ume of air passing from the hollow base Titi Ei (b and is adjustable by any suitable means so as to regulate the 'flow of oil through the nozzle to the mixer. The reservoir 33 .is

connected by a pipe 36 with an oil storage tanlr 3'? and the pipe 36 provided with e. valve 38 controlled by a lloat 39 so as to yhold an approximately uniform level of oil in the reservoir for the purpose of obtaining a iixed head or pressure of oil at the nozzle burner so as to maintain a constant tei'nperature and degree of heat in the generating chamber or casing 4a. A thermometer 21a ci' a suitable type connects with the pipe 81 leading from the coil 5al to indicate the temperature of the heat transmitting medium; and a dilte'rential thermometer 22- having a recording chart 'conneots by temperature tubes`23a and 2da with the gas main at opposite ends of the heating coil 2f* so as to indicate-the differencev in temperature in the flowing gas at the points Where it entersv and Where it leaves the case or chamber containing the coil 2a. rlhe operation of the torni of the meter just described is practically the same asthe form of the invention first described, the dierence being in the employment of an oil fuel for the heat generating chamber instead ot a gas burner as in the first form. p

Another forni of the invention contemplates the application of the products of,` combustion directly to the conduit through which the gas to be heated is passed or caused to flowY instead otransmitting the heat to the gas .from a. heated medium pass-` illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. In thisv figure el" indicatesthe' casing of a heat zf generating` chamber having airinsulating protection b and inclosed in a jacket 13b havl ing an insulating` protector vThe. base 'of Gti the generating chamber is hollow to form an air `chamber l having air inlet ports 42. Beneath the air chamber l1-is a fuel gas chamber 4B separated by a partition la from the air chamber and receiving a supply of gas through a pipe which may lead from the gas main and provided with a pressure regulator 46 of any approved type for insuring a regulated flow ot' gas, under-a constant pressure to the gas burner. The partition es is provided. with nipples 47 for a reiht beneath the m the chain- Viortion oli the combusf heat generating casing 'l by the gas jets so as stible mixture in the ter ol the casing fil. The conduit for the gas to be measured consists. et a number opipes or tubes 49 communiat opposite ends with headers or manifolds 50 and 51 Which establish communication betweenthe opposite ends oi' the conduits and the gas main through which the gas flows. The main body of the conduit tubes lies Within the heat Igenerating chamber or ,casing -i-b so that the ,gas flowing through the tubes Iwill have heat imparted thereto by the heatof combustion generated within and passing through the casing d and thus the temperature of lthe.'lio-Wing gas will be raised so that its rise in. temperature may be recorded by the ditierential thermometer and the volume or quantityo gas flowing per minute through the gas main may be ascertained and recorded. At the junction of the tivo parts or 'sections ofeach of the manitolds- (50 and .51) :there are placed thin plates 52, with gaskets between them, to form insulation's between thel sections so as to'prevent the metal composing the manifolds from conducting heat from the tubes 49 to the gas main. An 'insulatingcovering 53 of suitable material is also preferably placed around the protrudin ends of the tubes 49 and the manifolds 50 and 51 as illustrated to prevent the radiation' of heat fromsuch parts which would vary with the external temperature.

A portion of the 'fuel supply pipe t5 in the form of a coil as illustrated, lies within the 'inlet or inanifoldl of the gas main so that the fuel gas after being regulated by the pressure regulator 4'6is subjectedor exposed through the coil in the manifoldv 51 to the current of gas flowing into the instrument. Thus the fuel gas is brought to substantially the same temperature at all times, that of the incoming gas from the main thus insuring` accuracy of the meter. rlhe differential thermometer 22.* having a recording chart Q5 and of any well known type ot construction is connected by tempera-ture tubes 23" and 24h with the headers or manifolds 50 and 51, respectively so as to indicate the diiere-nce in teinperatureot the gas flowing through the ras main at the points where it ent-ers and where it leaves the conduits 'of thel heatingl chamber; and a thermometer 2lb may be used to indicate the temperature of the heating gases or products ot combustion in the heat generating` chamber.

In all of the forms 'of meters-herein disclosed., the heating of the fluid to. be meas. ured is accomplished by the use of products of combiu tion and therefore the meter is lili) capable of being-used where electric energy is not available or where its use is not practicable. Vhen. the fluid to be measured is combustible gas, the fuel for generating the products of combustion may be taken di- `rectly from the fluid to be measured. The

different forms of' the meter herein disclosed are merely illustrative, and the meter may,

' therefore, take Various other forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. 1 What I claim'is:

, 1. A fluid meter comprising a conduit adapted to be connect/ed to a Huid main thro-ugh which flows the fluid whose rate of flow is to be measured, means Ato heat said fluid comprising means for generating products of combustion, and means to measure the effect of' the heat transfer between the products of combustion and the fluid 2. A fluid meter comprisinga conduit .adapted to be connected to a fluid main through which flows the fluid whose. rate of flow is to be measured, means to heat said' fluid comprising means for generating products of combustion, and means to measure the rise in temperature produced in the fluid by the products of combustion.

3. A fluid meter comprising a conduit 4adapted to be connected to a fluid main measured, means to heat the fluid comprising v'at least one fluid burner and means whereby the effect of the heat transfer between said means and the fluid may-be utilized in determini'ng the rate of flow of the fluid.

-5. In a fluid meter a conduit adapted to be connected to a fluid main through which 5 flows the fluid whose rate of' flow is to be 50 measured, means to heat the fluid comprising t least one fluid burner, means to supply fluid to said burner at a'constant rate,v and means whereby the effect of the heat transfer between theheating means and the fluid may be utilized in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

6. In a fluid Ameter a conduit through which the fluid to be measured flows, means to heat said fluid comprising at least one fluid burner, means to supply said burner with fluid taken from the fluid to be measured, and means whereby the effect of the heat-transfer between the heating means and the fluid may be utilized in determining the. rate of oW of the fluid. l

7. A flu-id meter .comprising a conduit adapted to be connectedto a fluid main through which flows thefluid whose rate of flow is to be measured, means to heat said lfluid comprising means for generating products 'of'combustiom and a differential eX- pansion thermometer responsive to the' difference -in the temperaturein the fluid before and after being heatedby the products of combustion.

SpA fluidV meter comprising a .conduit wherebyl the effect of the heat transfer between the heating means andthe fluid may be utilized in determining the rate'of flow of the fluid.

10. A fluid meter comprising'a conduit through which the fluid to be measured flows, means to heat said fluid comprising at least one fluid burner, means to pre-heat the fuel supplied to said burner, and means whereby the effect of the heat' transfer bel tween the heating means and the fluid my be utilized in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

11. A fluid meter comprising a conduit through which the fluid to' be measured flows, means to heat said fluid comprising at least one burner, means to bring the temperature of the fuel supplied to said burner to substantiallyy the same temperature as the temperature of' the fluid to be measured, and means whereby the effect of the heat transfer between the heating means and the fluid may be utilized in determining the rate of flow ofthe fluid. l

l2. A fluid meter comprising a conduit flows, a heating coil positioned in said conduit, a second coil connected with said first named coil so that a liquid heating medium mayi circulate through both of said coils,

sing a conduit through which the fluid to` be measured l means to impart heat Ato the liquid as it' passes through said second named coil, and means to utilize the eflect of the heat transfer between said first named coil and the fluid in determining 'the rate of flow of the 13- A fluid meter comprisingv a conduit through which .the fluid to be measured `at -least onefluid burner for lheating the fluid medium as it passes through said second named coil, and means to utillze the effeet of the heat transfer between said rst of flow of a fluid which consists ing heat to the fluid by means of products of combustion and utilizing the effect of the heat transfer between the products of com? bustion and the fluid in determining the rateJ of How of the fluid. 15. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in imparting heat to the fluid by means of products of combustion, and utilizing the temperature effect on the fluid in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

16. The method of determining the rate of flow lof a fluid which lconsists in imparting heat to the fluid at a constant rate by means of products of combustion, and utilizing the temperature effect on the fluid in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

17. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in imparting heat to th'efluid by means of a heated liquid, heating said liquid by means of products of combustion and utilizing the effect of the heat transfer between the fluid and said heated liquid indetermining the rate of flow of the duid.

18. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which'consists 1n heating thedluid by means of a heated liquid, supplying heat at a constant rate to the heated liquid by means of products of combustion. and utilizing., the effect of the heat transfer between the fluid and the heated liquid inv determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

A19. The method of determining the rate of flow of afluid which consists in imparting heat to the fluid from a-source of heat, supplyilng fluid fuel to said source of heat., bringing the fluid fuel before-it reaches said source to substantially the same temperature as thefluid to be-measured.

20. The method of determining the rate of @epics of tatu latent may be obtained for uve cents each, by addressing the flow of a fluid which consists in imparting heat to the fluid from a source of heat, supplying fluid fuel to said source of heat, 'subjecting said fuel before it reaches said source to ie temperature of the fluid to l'be measure 21. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in utilizing a portion of the fluid'to be measured to supply heat' energy to produce a measurable temperature effect on the fluid.

22. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in imparting heat to the fluid to be measured by means of a heated liquid, imparting heat to said liquid, and utilizing the temperature effect on the fluid of the heat imparted thereto by the liquid in determining the rate of flow of the liquid. v

23. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in imparting vheat to the fluid by means of avheated liquid, heat-ing said liquid by means of products of combustion and utilizing the effect of the heat transfer between the fluid andsaid liquid in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

2l. A fluid meter comprising a conduit through which the fluid to be measured flows, means to heat said fluid comprising means for generating products of combustion, and means whereby the effect of the heat transfer between the products of com bustion and the fluid may be utilized in determining the rate of flow of the fluid. Y

25. The method of determining the rate of flow of a fluid which consists in imparting heat to the fluid by means of products of combustion and utilizing the effect of the heat transfer in determining the rate of flow of the fluid.

InI testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DoRsEY R. Porras.

lllitnesses.

J. M. BURR,- Osin STURM.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

